Boiler water reclaiming device



July 22, 1952 E. D. HALL ETAL 2,604,209

BOILER WATER RECLAIMING DEVICE Filed March 19, 1947 Z Arrow/Em.

Jn? I E. .4 l

'instance, when the invention Patented July 22, 1952 'BOILER WATER RECLAIMING DEvIoE Earl D. Hau, Meadville, Pa., and Hamid D.

.'Bavrber, Shaker Heights, Ohio Application Marichl19, 1947, Serial N o. 735,678

l Our invention relates to means forreclaiming steam boiler water laden with suspended-matter;

' iclaim.- (Crain-tzr by removing such matter therefrom and returning the cleansed water to a storage tank for reuse in the boiler. 'y i 1 It is one of the objects of the inventionfto prog-` vide means of this character in which baffles,r moving parts and/or lters are eliminatedythu's dispensing with the necessity of replacementof such parts due to wear,;corrosion or clogging-f e Another object of the vinvention is thefprovision of an apparatus of the class described which is particularly effective-'in connection Avwith removing suspended matter from wateruse'ddn locomotiveboilers, thuspermitting the cleansed water to be'redeposited in the watery supply tank of the tender for reuse as contrasted with'v the custom of discharging the laden watery from-the boiler and along the right ofv way. Such practice not only requires more frequent renewalfofthe Water supply, but is destructive'fto the ties-along the right of way. y l f`- Another object of the invention is the separa# tionkof suspended matten-such as. boiler-sludge'. mud, etc. from steamz boiler water by delivering the laden boiler water toa separation tank, maintaining the tank'lledwith the water and excluding air therefrom, and allowing the suspended matter to settle into a sump or the like for subsequent removal as'the water passes through the tank.

A further object of the invention is to prevent agitation of the laden water in the separation tank without resorting to the use of baffles or other similar means, whereby the separation of sludge from the Water may be carried out emciently and effectively even though the tank may be subjected to vibration or Afrnovement' as, for

u is used in connection with locomotive boiler water systems.' such use the tank may be carried in the te," `r.

A still further object of the inventionfis the provision of an apparatus of this character which is extremely simple in'construction, effective nd efficient Vin operation, andfvvhichXv can befbuilt, installed, and operated at'extr'emely low cost;

Other objects and advantages ofour invention will become more apparent as the following description of an embodiment thereof progresses, reference' being made to the accompanying drawing in which like referencecharacters are employed to designate like parts throughout the same.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of an apparatus em- L l. 2 bodyin'g our Vinvention and shows the same applied in useon a locomotive tender.

' Figure 2 is a vertical section of the same taken on line 2-1'2 ofFig'ure 1.

Aligure isja horizontal section through the steam sep' rator taken on line 3 3 of Figure 2, and

Figure 4 isa transverse section through the steam separator taken on line 4 4 of Figure 3.

While we have illustrated the invention as used in connection with'locomotive'boilers, it will be understood that We do not intend to limit the same in this respect, since it is equally well adaptedto use with stationary boiler or other systems where it is desirable to remove suspended matter from alladennuid and to reuse or'recirculate the nladen u'id in such systems.

In carrying'out'- our invention as applied to locomotive boilers,V ther water taken from the boiler and usually laden with scale, sludge, mud or other suspendedmatter is conveyed from the boiler either through a blow-off device (not sho/wn) or other suitable connection through a pipe I, and is vdelivered substantially tangentially tothe upper part of alcentrifugal steam separator 2 in thetender"3"supportedin an elevated position over the ,settling tank-1ll by means ofsupport 5. f A

Thecentrifugal separator comprises a cylindrical body 2`provided with a domed top 6 and is open to the/outside atmosphere through the opening l. "A'plurality of plates concentrically arrangedjasfat' and 9,' and'having oppositely disposedlopenin'gs l0,'depend from the top 6 within the body to within a lshort distance of the botto'mvvallor floor H ofthe separator, Whilefanl outlet ordischarge pipe I2 communicates vwiththe interior of the-separator near its lower wall I l' andl with a distributing manifold 'I3 within one end ofthe settling tank 4.

Itf'will be understood that when water laden with suspended matterv is delivered from the boiler to the steam separator, it is substantially at boiler pressure. Since the steam separator is open to 'atmospheric pressure through the opening`L'thefincoming',water will be 4subjected to a pressure drop, thereby releasingjsteam and heat 'which isvented throughtheopening 'I to the outside latmosphere.V Water vat boiler ,pressure or thereabouts enterng the steam separator will be whirled within the separator 2 and between the plates 8 and 9 and, as explained above, will be subjected to a pressure drop before it flows at atmospheric pressure out through the discharge pipe I2 and into the manifold I3.

f After all air has The manifold I3 is supported within the settling tank 4 and is preferably located at one end thereof and just below the inclined top wall I4 of the tank as shown in Figure 2. The manifold is provided With a plurality of perforations or holes I5 spaced at intervals to distribute the flow of laden boiler water across the Width of the tank. It will be noted that the top wall I4 of the tank is inclined upwardly and outwardly from its left hand end as in Figure 2, and terminates in a plurality of openings I6 at Vthe other end of the tank.

Mounted above the settling tank, but below the,

level of the steam separator, is a reserve storagel tank I'I having a plurality of openings I8 in its bottom wall communicating with the openings.

I6 of the settling tank to first permit the escape of all air from the tank 4 as the water level therein rises and then to conduct water from the tank 4 to the reserve tank I1. Since thetop wall I4 is inclined upwardly it will be impossible to trap any air inthe tank 4, since as the water level rises to the top wall all remainingair in the tank will be exhausted through the openings I6 and I8. Thus, when the tank 4 becomes `cornpletely filled with particle laden boiler water agitation of the water body therein will be p revented even as a result of tank vibration or'movement under running conditions. The body of water in the tank Il being free of agitation as a result of tank movement will readily .permit the vsuspendedn'iatter to settle by gravity to the bottom of the tank and be deposited alongthe bottom Wall I9.

been exhausted from the tank 4 and the reserve tank I1, the water level will have risen to the outlet Zufrom which it is conductedby means of a pipe 2 I into .the water storage space 21a in the tender where it may be reused by circulating it to and through the boiler It will be noted `that the bottomwall I9 of the settling tank to which the suspended matter eventually gravitates is also inclined in the directionof the top wall I4 although to a less degree than that ofk the t'op wall. 'I he bottom wall terminates in a sump 22 intowhich the deposit may be collectedand removed.

In order to facilitate removal of depositsl from the bottom wall I9, we have provided a plurality of pipes 23 arranged longitudinally of the settling tank 4 and spaced just above the wall I9. 'I hese pipes are connected at one end to a header pipe 24 through which water at high pressure may be admitted by opening a valve 25 in the high pres'- sure line 26. The pipes 23 are provided with a plurality of periorations 2 opening in tl 1ec iirec tion of the wall I9. When waterunderhigh pressure is admitted to these lpipes it will be *ejected in a plurality of jets directed against the-bottom wall I9 to loosen and Yflush out any depositthere-T on. Since the wall I9 is inclined downwardly toward the sump 22, the flushed material will be conveyed to the sump.

A quick opening gate valve 28 is provided in the .sump outlet to permitsludge from the sump to flow into adischarge vpipe 29 which passes through Vthe locomotive tender to discharge the sludge to the ground. Y

From the above description understood that by 'our inventionwe have' pro'- t win te 'readily from steam boiler water without resorting to the.

use of baiiles, lters, or the like, thus enabling the unladen Water to be economically reclaimed for reuse in the boiler. Furthermore, we have provided a novel method of reclaiming boiler water for reusef Inasmuch as the settling tank Itis disposed transversely of the tender,we have provided a Walk Way 30 overlying the tank 4 and having a hand rail 3| leading from one compartment of the tender to the other to enable the fireman or other persons to pass freely over the settling tank. j Y

Various changes may be madein the details of construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the invention or the scope of the appended claim.

We claim:

An apparatus of the class describedand adapted-to be carried by a'locomotive tender, said apparatus comprising a settling tankl mounted transversely of a tender and in ar position in clined tothe horizontal, said tank lhaving a steam boiler water inlet at the lower end oi. the Ainclined tank and outlets adjacent the other .end ofsaid tank, a reserve tank supported on said settling tank and overlying Ythe outlets therein, said reserve tank having openings in register with the outlet openings of said settling tank whereby to exhaust air from said settling tank and to cornmunicate boiler water from the top ofthe settling tank intosaid reserve tank, the bottom inclined wall of the settlingV tank terminating short of the inlet end of said tank, aheader pipe having communication with a source of fluid under pressure extending transversely within the settlingtank near its outlet end, and. aplurality of conduits extending fromsaid-header and disposed along the bottom Wall of the settlingrtank said conduits having orifices opening toward said bottom Ywall whereby to subject a deposit ofl settledparticles on said rwall to dislodgment and movement along said wall when fluid under pressure ,is admitted to said header and conduits..l

f HAROLD-D. BARB-R',

REFERENCES cifrar) The following references are of record inthe iile ofthis patenti Y UNITED sTA'rEsPA'rENTs Number Name Date V469,405 Lyman Feb. 23, 1892 794,015 Hostetler f 1 July 4, 1905 1,480,379 Elliott et a1. f-r f J ari.v 8, 1924 1,585,632 Isaacs May-1 8, r1926 1,700,716 Ostertag Y Jan. '29, 1929 1,939,988 Knoies Dec. 19, 1933 2,100,095 `Wilson et al. f A -N o v. 23, v1937 2,304,248 Entwhistle et al. 2 Dec. 8,1942 2,355,305 Koenig j Aug. 8, 1944 2,356,469 Pearson Aug.` 22 1944 2,423,793 VO liVO etal.`I Ju1y 8,'1947 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 212,934 Germany j Aug. '13,' 1909 

